What so great about THE GENERAL? This may be the oldest film I'll ever discuss on this blog, but if you have a chance to catch it (I DVR'd it off TMC), you simply have to.
A lot of people are turned off by silent films, but once one is used to them, they open up a whole world of cinematic options. In junior high, I checked-out an 8mm projector from the Public Library and their copies of INTOLERANCE and BIRTH OF A NATION. And though I was but 14, and each film about 3 hrs long, I loved them. And I've loved silent films ever since.
Some essentials: METROPOLIS, NAPOLEON, JOAN OF ARC, THE CROWD, THE LAST LAUGH, and THE GENERAL.
Of the above, THE GENERAL is the only comedy and, better, it's hilarious. I mean laugh out loud hilarious. Buster Keaton, in my opinion, puts Chaplin to shame. His timing is impeccable, his gags clever. And there's a reason he was called 'Ol' Stone Face.' He gets more laughs out of his dead-pan expressions than any man in the history of film.
I won't describe the gags, but they're clever and effortlessly done. And the climax of the film, which involves a train chase with THREE actual trains (some of the stunts, done by Keaton, are rather impressive and daring), hundreds of soldiers, a cannon (one of the funniest bits), a girl (who Keaton keeps stepping on), a wayward sword--Oh God, there's a million of them.
Most really old films are dated--even the Chaplin films I find hard to watch. But THE GENERAL is just as great now as it was back in 1927 when it was released. If you have Net-Flix, get it--NOW. You won't think of silent film comedies the same way again.
A lot of people are turned off by silent films, but once one is used to them, they open up a whole world of cinematic options. In junior high, I checked-out an 8mm projector from the Public Library and their copies of INTOLERANCE and BIRTH OF A NATION. And though I was but 14, and each film about 3 hrs long, I loved them. And I've loved silent films ever since.
Some essentials: METROPOLIS, NAPOLEON, JOAN OF ARC, THE CROWD, THE LAST LAUGH, and THE GENERAL.
Of the above, THE GENERAL is the only comedy and, better, it's hilarious. I mean laugh out loud hilarious. Buster Keaton, in my opinion, puts Chaplin to shame. His timing is impeccable, his gags clever. And there's a reason he was called 'Ol' Stone Face.' He gets more laughs out of his dead-pan expressions than any man in the history of film.
I won't describe the gags, but they're clever and effortlessly done. And the climax of the film, which involves a train chase with THREE actual trains (some of the stunts, done by Keaton, are rather impressive and daring), hundreds of soldiers, a cannon (one of the funniest bits), a girl (who Keaton keeps stepping on), a wayward sword--Oh God, there's a million of them.
Most really old films are dated--even the Chaplin films I find hard to watch. But THE GENERAL is just as great now as it was back in 1927 when it was released. If you have Net-Flix, get it--NOW. You won't think of silent film comedies the same way again.
posted by I. Michael Koontz | 6:46 PM
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